My girls don't like cutworms

They **LOVE** cutworms! It's reason #537 why I love having chickens. I don't have to squish cutworms when I find them in the dirt any more!

I did some weeding in my front yard today and took all 4 girls out with me. I caged them up and put a lid over them, moving them around from time to time. They were thrilled to have grass again - they've eaten all the grass in the back yard - and to eat bugs. They pigged out on all the cutworms and worms I tossed to them. You'd think I was giving them cheese, they were so excited.

I saved some to give them a treat tomorrow.

Cutworms live in dirt, btw, and look like this. They're about an inch long and are every gardener's enemy.

I used to have a hen that would get between my knees and my hands when I was weeding/planting or any other hand dirt-digging job so she could be first to grab whatever I stirred up. The cutworms were a favorite!She slowed me down considerably, but I liked having her there, so never chased her away. Wouldn't have done any good anyway!

I just want to say I am totally jealous of you. Our cutworms are currently frozen solid (or however solid a cutworm *can* freeze -- I'm not inclined to study the matter further!) under a foot or so of icy compacted snow. Some will melt off this week, but we are probably 3+ months away from cutworm season

Cutworms will cut right through seedlings, I always put toothpicks next to my peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, etc. because the cutworm needs to curl around the stem to eat into it, the toothpicks keep them from being able to curl up like that. Works every time, any unprotected seedling will be snipped right off at soil level